Bismarck weekly tribune., 1887-01-28

ent or private signal stations, at larger
number OF prominent points.
SETTLEMENT AND GROWTH.
The settlementof public lands has been
very satisfactory during the past two
years.
The greater number of land entries have
been made in the central and northern por-
tions of the territory, although there has
been considerable progress along the great
highway of Dakota's marvellous prosperity
since 1880 reported in every district, and in
places, as in the Black Hills. there has
been remarkable growth in other ways.
1t may be truly said that the citizenship
of Dakota consists largely of the best blood
that flows in American veins, which in
turn, through the succeeding generations
brought to life on this soil, in this climate,
and under these skies, is to produce the f,l-
ture Dakota type in man and woman.
1t would be we'll and altogether wise, ac-
cording to the Judgment of the writer. to
add little to the proportion of the desira-
bic foreign element and leaven in our pop
ulatiOn.
The German will contribute to the love
of home and liberty, the respect of law,
and the pride of common institutions, in
no less degree than the free-born Ameri-
can himself may cherish and maintain
those fundamental principles of our ma
tl"nal constitution and state govern
ment.
X X X
The work of this department has been
confined almost entirely tn the United
States and Canada. Some advertising mat
ter has been sent to England and several
continental countries, but no systematic
effort to encourage foreign emigration has
been possible in the absence of the neces-
sary means for the purp;se.
There remains, according to the latest
revised estimates of the office. bearing date
of December 1, 1885, a total vacant area,
open to settlement at this time. of little
over twenty million (2O,000,0oO) acres of
government land.
This area is distributed as follows:
Bismarck land district, 12500,0J0 acres.
Devils Lake land district, nearly 400O.OOO
acres.
Deadwood land district, over 100000
acres. of which the larger part is classed
as agricultural land.
Aberdeen land district. 100000 acres.
Fargo land district, 100000 acres.
In the Huron, Watert0Wn, Mitchell and
YanktOn districts there Is but little vacant
land left, excluding that which has been
already filed on, and is now to be acquired
through REIMBURSEMENT or contest. Prob
ably in the Huron district the vacant area
as thus defined will not exceed $4,000 acres,
and in each of the other three districts it is
very much less.
III addition to the vacant public land
area above described, there yet remains in
the hands of Indians total area of nearly
27,0OOO0O acres a large il not the greater
part of which will eventually be opened to
settlement.
[NorE: A diagram is given, showing
the. relative location Of vacant lands in
Dakota
The two tables which are given below
show in detail the public land entries in
Dakota for the year ending June 80, 1886;
by land districts for the entire period un-
months, for the ten districts combined. in
the second table; the footings for the year
of course agreeing.
The grand total of lands newly filed on
and purchased by immigrants for settle
ment for the year in question may safely
be estimated at over 100000 acres, or $3.50
square miles, an area, considered in solid
body, as large as the Aberdeen land dis
trict, and larger by 320 square miles than
the combined area of the states of Connect
icut and Rhode Island.
The block diagram displayed herewith
will serve to illustrate what "One Year
in Dakota"-and no extraordinary "boom''
period, either, like 188S-may accomplish,
by way of covering the surface, as COM
pared with few of the more densely pop
ulated areas of the eastern states.
territory for the year ending June 80, 1886,
may be safely estimated at $1,000. giving
Dakota population on that date of fully
100000.
Dakota keeps on growing, and her popu-
lation on December l. 1886, may be estima-
ted at $4,000, in round numbers, the in
crease during the five months of July, Au-
gust, September, October and November
being put at less than one-third of the all
nual increase.
RAILROAD DEVELOPMENT.
In 1871, the Northern Pacific railroad
was extended west as far as the Red River
of the North. the track reaching to the
CdotCAu Udllh VI ludG IlVcIs Ou Luc Mkuuc-
sofa side, December 81, 1871.
The day following, January 1, 1872, the
rails were laid on Dakota soil, in the gate
city of Fargo.
This was the first railroad built in the
territory, although only several months
ahead Of the second.
The Dakota Southern road, now part of
the Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul rail-
way, was projected in 1871, and built into
Dakota during the same year,
1872, that the transcontinental line, several
hundred miles to the north, was being laid
across vast, uninhabited plain, on its way
to the Pacific ocean.
The past year, 1886, has been one of the
greatest activity, and a number of very i'm
portant enterprises have been inaugurated,
which have added large mileage during
the year and promise as much, or more, for
the year to come.
The Chicago, Milwaukee e. st. Paul rail-
war leads off in the construction of 1886,
with mileage completed of 25O miles, and
the st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba
comes next, and close behind, with COM
pleted mileage of 230 miles.